ISLAMABAD - National Accountability Bureau has sent the case of Director General NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Farman Ullah to the Establishment Division for reconsideration of its findings regarding his initial appointment in the Bureau.

NAB informed the Supreme Court regarding this in its 15-page compliance report on top court’s 2017 judgment in the suo motu action regarding illegalities, contraventions and violations in appointments within NAB.

On March 31, 2017, the top court had constituted a committee headed by Secretary Establishment to look into illegal appointments in NAB and ruled that the findings of the Committee shall be acted upon forthwith by the NAB. The said Committee is headed by Secretary Establishment.

The said Committee earlier had found that the experience certificates issued by Physical Planning and Housing Department and Frontier Highways Authority Peshawar did not exhibit that Farman Ullah possessed post qualification experience in the fields of inquiry, investigation, research and legal matters.

“The committee is of the view that the officer provided experience certificate which could not satisfy the requirement of experience mentioned in the advertisement therefore, his services cannot be retained in NAB. The committee also recommends that if legally possible he may be repatriated to his parent department. He may however be considered for fresh recruitment as and when vacancy occurs, the committee had recommended.

Likewise, the accountability watchdog in its compliance report further informed the top court that the case of Training Wing Director Fayaz Ahmed Qureshi has also been sent to the Committee for reconsideration of the findings.

Regarding Qureshi, the said committee headed by Secretary Establishment had recommended, “Hence, NAB may consider repatriation of the officer to his parent department if it is legally possible. He may, however be considered for fresh recruitment as and when vacancy occurs.”

The report stated that there were total of 11 cases regarding DGs (BS-21) and Directors (BS-20) but no one repatriated to their parent department on the recommendations of the said Committee. It added that previous departments of eight officers were asked to confirm the contents of experience certificates through letters dated 9 November and 12 December of 2018.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and comprising Justice Mushir Alam will take up the cases for hearing today.

The previous departments of six DGs and Directors have confirmed the contents of their experience certificates. These officers include DGs Zahir Shah and Muhammad Altaf Bawany, Directors Atiqur Rehman, Mirza Sultan Muhammad Saleem, Muhammad Masood Alam and Nauman Aslam.

NAB’s compliance report, however, stated that reply of the letter regarding Mirza Muhammad Irfan Baig from Federal Bureau of Statistics is still pending.

“Two experience certificates dated 08-12-2016 and 02-05-2017 were required to be confirmed in respect of Brig (R) Farooq Naser Awan. In response, GHQ, Engineers Dte. Vide letter dated 7th December 2018 has verified the experience certificate dated 08-12-2016, however, reply from MS Branch regarding experience certificate dated 02-05-2017 is awaited,” the report stated.

Similarly 40 deputy directors (BS-18), out of 42, have been retained on approval of Chairman NAB on completion of formalities on the recommendations of the Committee. One officer already resigned while case of Ziaullah Khan Toru is under process.

5 Additional Directors (BS-19) have been repatriated to their parent departments on the recommendation of the Committee while 10 Additional Directors have been retained by the Chairman NAB on completion of formalities on the recommendations of the Committee.

Cases of 7 Assistant Directors are under process. The concerned DGs of six additional directors have been asked to provide details of cases assigned conducted and disposed by the officers to gauge their quantitative performance for consideration of their cases of retention in NAB by the competent authority. The reply in this regard is awaited.

State Bank of Pakistan has been requested to clarify and reconcile the dates of experience certificates Additional Director Ghazi Rahman and issue relevant experience of the remaining missing period. Reply from State Bank is also awaited.

10 Additional Directors has been retained after approval by the Chairman NAB on completion of formalities on the recommendations of the Committee.

Interestingly, appointment of another controversial officer Shahzad Saleem has also been cleared in his promotion case from BS-18 to BS-19. He is serving on the post of BS-21 as DG NAB Lahore.

“In pursuance of Judgement of Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) dated 31-03-2017 in SMC # 13/2016, findings of the Committee constituted by SCP, consequent upon the recommendations of Selection Board in its meeting held on December 17, 2018, duly approved by the Competent Authority and in partial modification of this Bureau’s Notification No.7-7(12)/HQ/2003/Admn-I, dated 31-12-2003, Mr. Shahzad Saleem, Deputy Director (BS-18), is deemed to have been promoted as Additional Director (BS-19) w.e.f. 30-09-2010 i.e. upon completion of 07-years NAB service in BS-18 in terms of Section 3.25 of NAB Employees TCS, 2002 read with Sections 2.01 (xiii & xxxv),” the notification dated December 24 of 2018 stated.

The Committee, headed by Secretary Establishment, in its report had recommended, “NAB may, in the first place, reconsider the case for promotion of the officer (Saleem) from BS-18 to BS-19, on regular basis, when he actually becomes eligible subject to completion of prescribed length of service and mandatory training in accordance with NAB Rules/ Promotion policy and thereafter, reconsider his further promotion to BS-20, accordingly in the light of decision arrived at in case of his promotion to BS-19.”